Self-deception regarding his wife, inflicted on the good-natured captain of the ship and the like. the willingness to succumb to base men on the part of the painted woman.
It truly demonstrates how even those who find themselves in the most extreme situations of life can find redemption, albeit at a terrible cost. And just to make sure you understand it, the final image of the captain is someone left alone and hopeless, despite his good deeds.
